County Lifts Burn Ban While Governor Includes Hays County In Emergency Disaster Declaration Due To Drought

On Tuesday, the Hays County Commissioners temporarily lifted the burn ban until further notice while Governor Greg Abbott issued an emergency proclamation declaring a State of Disaster for several counties due to “exceptional drought conditions” posing a threat of “imminent disaster.”

According to the statement form Governor Abbott’s office, significantly low rainfall and prolonged dry conditions continue to increase the threat of wildfire across the following counties;

Bandera, Blanco, Brown, Callahan, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crockett, Dimmit, Eastland, Edwards, Fisher, Frio, Glasscock, Haskell, Hays, lion, Jim Hogg, Jones, Karnes, Kendall, Kimble, Kinney, Liano, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Menard, Nolan, Nueces, Palo Pinto, Real, Runnels, San Patricio, Schleicher, Shackelford, Starr, Stephens, Sterling, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Uvalde, Val Verde, Webb, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson, Wilson, Young, Zapata, and Zavala counties.

Included in the statement from Hays County were the following requirements:

• 300 feet from any structure on adjacent properties.
• Smoke must not create a nuisance to neighbors or traffic. 
• Winds less than 23mph.
• Burning allowed one hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset.  All fires, smoke, and smoldering must be completely out overnight.
• Must be continually supervised by a responsible adult. 
• Must have a means to control and extinguish the fire (water hose, buckets, tanks, tractor, shovels, etc.).
• You may only burn natural materials (tree limbs, branches, brush, leaves, grass, etc.).
• You may never burn trash, garbage, construction materials, tires, rubber, plastic, hydrocarbons, fiberglass, asbestos, hazardous materials, processes materials, lumber, etc..
• Have a means to call 911, know your address, have your address clearly posted and have access for the Fire Department (gate unlocked, etc). 
• Keep your burn pile small and then feed more material into it as it burns down. 

For more information on outdoor burning safety, visit  https://hayscountytx.com/law-enforcement/fire-marshal/.